Wedge



May 6, 1941 J. B. NELSON 2,241,315-

WEDGE Filed sept. 18, 1939 WW )ji/Z /5 Hl I lei H lli Il? Il: l: ff- Il: Il: I" 1".' FH

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I'NVENTOR f-NYMMMY@ ATTORNEYS Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEDGE James B. Nelson, Pensacola, Fla. Application september 1s, 1939, serial No. 295,522

' (ol. 30s- 38) 4 Claims.

My invention relates to wedges for journal boxes and has as one of the principal objects thereof the provision of a wedge or adjusting device so constructed and arranged that variations in the relative positions of a pair of journal boxes may be readily compensated for so that the axle projecting into a pair of boxes will -be maintained in parallelism with the other axle or axles even though the boxes may not be accurately aligned.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the above described character which is simple in construction, durable in use, enicient in operation, economical in manufacture, and which may be readily applied to journal boxes already in use without modifying the construction thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claims and annexed drawing.

Referring .to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional View of a journal box and axle and illustrating my invention as applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the wedge plate.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the cap block.

As illustrated in the drawing, a bearing structure A includes a journal box 5 having a roof 6 and through which extends the end of an axle 1, the latter being engaged by a brass 8 arranged in the box and adjustable with the axle relative to the box as hereinafter described. The foregoing described bearing structure A is of ordinary construction usually employed in railway car trucks and the like.

In order to facilitate alignment or adjustment of the axle 1 with respect to the box 5, I provide a pair of'coacting wedge members I Il, namely a cap block II and a wedge plate I2, the latter overlying and engaging the upper section of the brass 8. The cap block II is interposed between the plate I2 and the roof 6 of the box as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. The cap block is formed with an elongated rectangular and centrally disposed lug or projection I3 on the under face thereof. The lug I3 is disposed within a similar shaped slot I4 formed in the plate I2, thereby effecting a connection between the box 5 and axle tand maintaining the latter in xed position within the box. The under face ofthe plate l2 is recessed to dene depending side ilanges I5 having inclined inner walls engaging inclined side sections formed on the upper portions of the sides of the brass 8 whereby to preclude movement between the plate and brass.

While I have illustrated and described a single Wedge plate, I employ a plurality of the same and which are interchangeable for effecting adjustment of the axle with respect to the box. Each of the Wedge plates thus interchangeably employed are formed with a similar slot of the same size and configuration and with said slots arranged in a variety of positions laterally with respect to the under face of the cap block. Obviously, by substituting one plate for that of another having a slot arranged in a different position laterally than the other plate, the position of the axle is varied or changed to permit aligning of the truck wheels and dispose a pair of said axles in parallelism. An example of the variety of positions of the slots is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing, the same being four in number and illustrated in full, dotted, dash, and combined dot and dash lines respectively. It is also noted with respect to Figure 3, that, While a ternary of the slots are disposed closer to one of the flanges I5 than the other, the plates I2 may be reversed to position the slots closer to the other side of the journal box, thereby providing a larger number of selectable positions to which the axle may be adjusted with respect to the box.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and eicient device for aligning the axles and wheels of car trucks and that by the use of my novel interchangeable Wedge plates a large number of axle adjustment positions may be obtained with a lesser number of said plates than the number of said positions, thereby eiecting an economy in both manufacture and maintenance.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specic construction as illustrated and described, as the same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in advance forms, and that the invention comprehends all construetion within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a journal box having an adjustable axle extending therethrough, a pair of wedge members maintaining the axle in the box in fixed position, one of said wedge members having a slot and the other wedge member having a lug disposed within said slot to maintain said members against lateral movement on each other, one of said wedge members removable for replacement of another member with a diierently arranged slot for adjusting said axle relative to said box.

2. Inrcombination with a journal box having an adjustable axle extending therethrough, a wedge member maintained within said box and having a downwardly disposed lug, a second wedge member having a slot receiving the lug of the first wedge member and having downwardly extending flanges at the side parallel with the axle,

and a brass resting on the axle between the downwardly extending flanges of the secondY wedgemember, whereby the second wedge member may be removed for replacement of another` wedge Y 1 member having the slot arrangedfdiierently for #adjusting said axle relative toisaid box.

ranged Vdiierently inrespect to the side walls thereof for adjusting said axle relative to said box.

4. In combination with a journal box having an adjustable axle extending therethrough, a wedge member maintained within said box and having a downwardly disposed lug centrally between the sides and ends thereof, a second wedge member having a central slot receiving the lug of the iirst member and having downwardly and '3. In combination with a'journalbox-fhaving an adjustableaxle vextending therethrough, a wedge member maintained within said box and having a downwardly disposed elongatedl lug `-extending Y parallel the axle, a second wedge member remov- 'ably supported below the rst wedge member' and outwardly beveled flanges at the sides parallel with the axle, and a brass resting on the axle and having inwardly beveledv side walls and closely engaging the downwardly and 'outwardly' extending flanges'of the second wedge member,v whereby the second wedge member may be removed for the replacement of another wedge member having the slot arranged differently for adjusting saidv axle I' relative to the box.

V JAMES BfNELSON. 

